


Commandeer

by SnowWhiteKnight



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cop!Bronn, Cop!Sandor, F/M, Joffrey's a dick, Lawyer!Margaery, Mild Language, Racer!Sansa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-27
Updated: 2017-02-27
Packaged: 2018-09-27 02:45:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9947285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnowWhiteKnight/pseuds/SnowWhiteKnight
Summary: It's not every day that you're sitting in a car that gets commandeered by the police.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just something I was playing around with. Probably got some plot holes. Let me know if you have any questions.

Sansa sat in the passenger side of the running car, waiting for Joffrey to come back and reading a new romance novel on her phone. She would happily wait all day if it meant a little more time away from him.  _ Ugh! I can't believe him! When did he become so impossible? He's going to break up with me, I just know it. Frankly, I welcome it. Maybe I should break up with him? Oh, he really wouldn't like that. _ She clasped her hands together in prayer. _ Dear gods, old and new, send me a sign! _ She opened her eyes. Nothing.  _ Mental sigh. Maybe later. _ She went back to reading her book. 

Ten minutes later, she heard a commotion coming from the bank Joffrey had left her outside of. She saw Joffrey running towards the car, yelling something, but it wasn't to her, it was to someone on the other side of the car. She turned to look, just at the driver's door opened. A huge bulk of a man was getting in, shouting, "Police! I'm commandeering your vehicle!" His badge was swinging from a chain around his neck.  _ Wow, if they make all police like this man, I’m really glad I’m not a criminal. _

He slammed the vehicle in reverse, clipping the car parked behind them. Sansa could hear Joffrey shouting, but the large man ignored him, and threw the car into drive, pushing the acceleration to something Sansa has only ever felt on the racetrack. She was grateful she never unbuckled her seatbelt, because this man was definitely pushing the sports car to its limits, but he was also kind of a shit driver. He had absolutely no control over the wheel and was narrowly missing other cars by the grace of the gods, and not by his own skill. She winced as the G-forces slammed her into the car door for the third time.

“Fuck! Where in the Seven Hells did all this traffic come from?” he growled. She studied his profile. He had really long black hair that hung down, hiding parts of his face. A hooked nose that looked like it might have been broken a few times. Grey eyes, like angry steel. His cheeks were slightly angular, lean. His lips were in a snarl, but she suddenly wondered what he would look like if he smiled. Not that that would be happening any time soon. He had to slow down and finally stop at a red light. “FUCK FUCK FUCK!!! SHIT FUCKING MOTHER OF A WHORE!” he swore, punching the horn on the steering wheel.

“Um...is there anything I can do to help?” she asked quietly. He turned to her slowly, revealing the other side of his face. The skin was twisted, burnt and then healed back badly. She couldn’t help that her eyes went wide in horror and a gasp escaped her lips.

“What the  _ fuck  _ are you doing here?” he asked menacingly.  _ Like the surly men at the racetrack, _ she thought, snapping her back from her initial reaction. She narrowed her eyes at him and frowned at his rudeness.  _ I will not cower. Ever. Not to THOSE men, and not to THIS one. I am a Stark of Winterfell. I am brave. _

“I was here in the car the entire time!” she huffed in annoyance. “You were the one that stole it from my...from Joffrey.”

He leaned back and studied her for a moment. “I didn’t steal it, I commandeered it for police business. Joffrey… Is that the blond cunt’s name? No wonder he didn’t want me taking it, if he had a fine specimen of a bird like you waiting for him in it.” He leered at her, but it wasn’t anything new and she ignored it.

“Actually, he probably doesn’t care that you took me along for the ride, just that you took his brand new Z4. He’s a prick that way.” She sighed. “So, again, is there anything I can do to help?”

“Doubtful,” the large man scoffed. “But I’ll let you know.” He pulled out his cellphone from his front jacket pocket and punched in a number. “Hey Blackwater, it’s Clegane. The rookie got overexcited and slammed the cruiser into a telephone pole. I commandeered a vehicle, but now I’m stuck in traffic.” Sansa could hear a string of expletives flow from the phone. The large man, Clegane, seemed unperturbed. “Yeah, well, apparently he saw his cousin and wanted to show off or something. I don’t know. Go yell at him, not me. Look, I’ll be there as soon as I can, but I don’t exactly have a cherry I can just pop onto the top of this car.”

Indecent images suddenly flooded Sansa’s mind of this man holding her down on top of the car, pounding into her as she begged him for more. Her cheeks felt hot from embarrassment as she pinched her knees together, pushing the thoughts away.  _ Damnit, Sansa! You’re not a virgin, how would that be popping a cherry? He’s got a great body, but he’s not even good looking… _ She peeked over at him. He was still listening to this Blackwater person. She had to take back her thought. He wasn’t classically handsome, but he did have a pleasant look to him. And the way his mouth moved as he spoke was more than pleasant. Her eyes traveled down his body. “Great” didn’t even begin to cover it. He wasn’t just a huge guy. He was a huge  _ muscular _ guy.  _ I bet he could bench press a VW bug, _ she thought. His kevlar vest hid some of his lines, but she had a pretty good imagination.  _ Thighs that could probably crush a man’s head…they don’t even look real. ... I want to touch them. NO, that would be rude. Maybe I could pretend there’s some fluff on his pants? _

She decided against that and checked her phone instead. There were several messages from Joff demanding she make the “ugly dog” bring the car back. Not one word asking if she was ok. She turned off the screen in disgust. Clegane was still talking on his phone. She snuck another glance at him.  _ How does one get so big and fit? _ she thought. A wanton thought floated through her head,  _ Is he big...everywhere? _ She looked back up at his face to find him staring at her.  _ Whoops. _

She pretended to pick something off of her shirt, then looked out the window to study the traffic. Really, it wasn’t that bad. Once the light turned green again, they might have a chance to get out of it, but definitely on the one after that. Except...he had already proven he was a really bad driver and they would just end up in the same situation again. She bit her lip. She could offer to drive him.  _ He’ll probably say no. _

“You done staring, girl?” He had finally hung up with the Blackwater person.

She whipped her head around to face him again.  _ Those burn scars really are horrible...that look in his eyes is even worse though… _

“I wasn’t…” His glare increased. “Ok, fine, I was staring. Can you blame me? I’ve never seen a guy like you before. Even my brothers aren’t built like you, and they’re some of the toughest guys I know.” She fell silent as the traffic moved and Officer Clegane missed three decent opportunities to leave the gridlock. She sighed. “I can drive you and get you there in...where do you need to go?”

He looked over at her. “The wharf. You think you’re a better driver than me?”

“Not  _ think. _ I  _ know _ I am. I can get you to the wharf in…” she did some mental calculations. “In about ten to fifteen minutes.”

He raised his good eyebrow at that. “No shit?” She frowned at his vulgar language, but nodded. “Ok, fine. I’ll pull over-- Hey!” he shouted as she opened the car door.

She thumped her hand against the hood of the car three times in rapid succession. “Twenty seconds until the light changes. Get a move on, Clegane!” she yelled, rounding the front of the car. He bolted from the driver’s seat, glaring at her as he passed her. She was putting her hair up in a tight bun and ignored him. They had their seatbelts buckled with five seconds to spare. “Reach behind my seat,” she said, adjusting the seat to her height. How he had managed to fit in the seat adjusted to Joffrey, she’d never want to know. It would just make her think about his legs, his strong and impressive legs.  _ Too late... _ “There’s a box. If I understood you correctly, I think you’ll find what you need in there.”

He frowned and did as she said. Shifting into first and then second gear, she managed to get them out of the intense traffic fairly quickly. “You have a police light?! Where the hell did you get this?! Only police are supposed to have these. It’s kind of in the name.” He turned it on, rolled down the window and stuck it to the roof of the car.

“It’s not  _ mine. _ You want to arrest Joffrey for owning it, be my guest. He uses it to terrorize people he doesn’t like. I never saw him use it, mind you, but I have ears and he has a big mouth. Not that he even uses it right,” she muttered that last part. Officer Clegane snorted in amusement. “Anyway, I think he stole it off of his uncle, a detective for major crimes. Again, I was not a witness to it, but I’m not stupid, as much as he loves to tell me I am. Even if I was, it wouldn’t be hard to put two and two together for  _ that _ mystery.” 

“Who’s his uncle?”

“Jaime Lannister.”

“Figures. He’s a great detective, but an idiot otherwise. If he didn’t have his partner, he’s probably lose his head or other appendages.” Officer Clegane looked out the window and then back at her with a startled look on his face. “How fast are you going?”

“About eighty? Best average I can give you, ETA eight minutes.” She could feel his eyes on her as she shifted seamlessly, weaving in and out of traffic as if the other cars were standing still. “Hold on, gotta make a tight turn up ahead.”

The tires screeched as she drifted into the turn, not losing a single bit of speed on it. She spared him a quick glance. His profile was of his burned side, but even that looked a little green around the gills. 

“Sorry, I forget not everyone is used to those.” He didn’t say anything and she was worried he was about to be sick. “Still with me, Clegane?” No answer. “CLEGANE!”

“What? Yeah, I’m fine, just…”

“Motion sickness,” she supplied. “Happens when you’re not used to these speeds. I don’t usually have passengers when I drive like this. Don’t look out the window. Focus on something else.”

“Like what?” he spat out. “I feel like you left my stomach back three miles.”

“Pick a spot inside the car to look at. Tell me about the case. What was going on in the bank? Why did you need to commandeer a vehicle? Anything! Brace!” she yelled, drifting into another turn. Her hand flew out and pushed on his chest during the turn, something she probably should have done on the last one. As soon as they were out of it, she had her hands back on the wheel. “Come on, Clegane, talk to me.”

“I was assigned a rookie. Lancel Lannister. He’s...I guess cousins with your boyfriend…”

“Soon to be ex-boyfriend,” she interjected. “Nobody lets me get kidnapped, is then more upset about the car being gone,  _ and  _ stays my boyfriend.”

“Your soon to be ex-boyfriend,” he amended. “Lancel...he... Someone pulled some strings to get his this assignment. I told them he was too green. I was ignored. Even Det. Lannister tried to warn them. He was ignored as well. Fast forward to today. We’ve been staking out the bank, waiting for someone to make a move on a particular deposit box. Can’t tell you more than that. The rookie was...skittish. He saw your bo-- soon to be ex-boyfriend.” She grinned at him, feeling unreasonably proud of him that he remembered. “He made a bit of a scene. Completely went downhill from there. The mark rabbited as soon as Lancel was made. Intel says he’s made his way to a hideout on the wharf. Just head towards all the police cars. We’re going to do a raid as soon as the warrant comes through. My captain has an in with the DA’s office, so should be any minute now.” Another quick glance showed him less green and more his normal color. 

“A raid? Aren’t those dangerous?”

“Don’t worry your feathers over it, they’ll be handing out vests at the meet-up point to anyone who doesn’t already have one, which, I do. Besides, it’s part of the job. Most you could do is give me a kiss for good luck,” he said with a laugh. She slowed as they entered the wharf. The idea of kissing him shouldn’t have sounded so nice.

“Shouldn’t your girlfriend be the one doing that?” she asked, feeling her cheeks growing warm.

“You think a guy like  _ me  _ has a girlfriend?” He barked out even more laughter. “Girl, you are one odd bird. Just let me out as close to the police line as possible.”

“Do you need me to stay nearby? Give you a lift back to the police station? I don’t mind waiting,” she offered. She would be lying if she said she didn’t have an interest in the man. Spending a little more time with him would either fuel or kill that interest. He stared at her for a moment. She put the car into park as he contemplated her and her offer. There were some officers milling around, but none paid them much attention.

“Sure, that would be...helpful. Though no hurry needed on that trip.” She laughed at that and nodded. He managed a grin and pointed behind her. “Just stay on the other side of that building. I’ll find you after.” He turned to leave the car. She wasn’t sure what possessed her. He had been a jerk, but then...he had also trusted her when he had no reason to. When he let her drive, when he accepted her help to calm his motion sickness, when he told her of the rookie assigned to him. His burns were bad, but they weren’t  _ that _ bad. He seemed like a good guy underneath the gruff exterior. Then there was that sadness in his eyes when he laughed about having a girlfriend... She unbuckled her seatbelt and grasped his collar, pulling him towards her and kissing him at an awkward angle. His eyes went wide, but he adjusted quickly. His tongue darted out, licking her lips before seeking out hers. She met him with equal fervor. He broke the kiss, “Wha-- Why did you...?”

“I don’t know,” she whispered. “But...I couldn’t let you go into a possibly life-threatening situation without at least a good luck kiss.” She smiled shyly at him. “And you did say that was something I could do.”

“You still have a boyfriend,” he said suddenly, though he looked like he regretted reminding her. 

“I do…” she said softly. She reached down between his legs, amused by how wide his eyes went, but she fished her phone out of her purse. She dialed Joffrey and put the phone on speaker. The phone rang five times before he picked up.

_ “Where the hell is my car, bitch?!” _ came Joffrey’s voice. Officer Clegane was about to say something but she put her finger up to his lips.

“Joff, yes, thank you for asking how I am, I’m just fine. Your car is still in possession by the police. They said they’ll return it as soon as they are done.”

_ “I need my damn car! How the hell am I supposed to get home?!” _

“Take a bus, call a cab, I don’t know. I’m being held…” she thought, “for questioning. They found some stuff in your car.”

There was silence for a bit.  _ “Did they find my gun?” _

“You have a--?!” she began to shriek. Officer Clegane put a hand on her shoulder to calm her. “Ugh, you know what, that’s beside the point. Joffrey, we’re through. Don’t call me, don’t text me, don’t come by my place. You and I are officially broken up.”

_ “The fuck?! We’re broken up when I say we’re broken up!” _

“Joff, you don’t even enjoy hanging out with me. Why would you want to stay with me?” Silence. “You don’t even know, do you? Fine, you don’t want me to break up with you, then here’s your chance. You can tell everyone you broke up with me, but if I find out you’re telling outlandish lies about me, I will sic my brothers on you. Hanging up now.”

_ “Wait--” _ She hit the end button.

“There, no more boyfriend. Feel better now? I certainly do. That was months in the making.”

“Did you just...break up with him...for me?” Officer Clegane looked really confused and extremely alarmed.

“What?! No! Geez, full of yourself much? I did it for  _ me.” _ She laughed as she said it. “I told you, he’s a prick. I’ve been meaning to do that for months. I prayed to the gods for a sign, and if today wasn’t a sign, then I don’t know what is. But you seemed to be unsure about me kissing you, so I figured, you might as well hear it. I didn’t want you feeling bad about it. That’s all.”

“Oh, ok.” He seemed a bit deflated about that.  _ Did I read him wrong? _

“So, Officer Clegane, are you going to take the luck I’ve given you and go do your job, or do I have to shove you out of the car?” she asked playfully. He smiled, but it lacked the warmth from earlier. “Hey, you ok?”

“Yeah, just fine.”

“No, you’re not. Come on, talk to me. If you can’t vent to a girl you barely met while ‘commandeering’ the car she was sitting in, then who can you vent to?”

“You think you know me?” he growled.  _ Whoa, that’s a total...well, it’s a three-sixty turn at this point. Back to where he was at the beginning. _

“No,” she said carefully. “But I know human nature. Look, I’m sorry if I pushed you. I just wanted to help really. If I made you uncomfortable with anything I’ve done, I do sincerely apologize. I don’t want you going into a high intensity situation bothered because of something I said or did. It could get you hurt, or worse, killed.”

“What do you care? You don’t  _ know _ me, you don’t know what’s going on here, and if you stick around, you’ll get yourself killed in the process. Just go home,  _ little girl. _ I don’t need you here, I don’t  _ want _ you here,” he snarled before exiting the car, leaving Sansa alone and confused.


	2. Chapter 2

_ Shit shit shit shit! Fucking high class women think they can just mess around with whoever they want. Can’t believe I believed her for a single fucking minute. Fuck that shit. I am nobody’s plaything, _ Sandor thought, though that only conjured images of being her actual plaything, wondering what sort of things she would do to him, or let him do to her. He shoved those thoughts away.  _ Shouldn’t have kissed her back. Fucking good kiss, too. She’ll probably call up her boyfriend and make up with him already. Fucking cunt shitface asshole of a boyfriend. _

Sandor strode angrily over to the mobile command center. Captain Bronn Blackwater was looking over the warrant with ADA Tyrell. “Thanks, love. You going to stick around for it?” he asked.

“Depends, do I get a fancy vest as well?” she said with a grin.

“This isn’t a fashion show, Tyrell. Get back to your little office where you’ll be safe from whatever the fuck ends up happening in there. Probably all die in a horrible fireball of justice,” Sandor growled.

She raised an eyebrow at him. “What the hell has your panties in a twist?” Margaery asked. 

“This got anything to do with the girl you were making out with a few minutes ago in the fancy car you commandeered?” Bronn asked. “Pretty girl, red hair?”

“Wait, were you making out with Sansa Stark?!” Margaery exclaimed. “Oh, this is just famous! I heard that Joffrey’s car had been commandeered by a ‘scarred man with a nasty temper’ and knew it was you, of course. I had no idea Sansa went along for the ride. I can see you two together, sort of an odd couple that compliments each other. She’s the sweet one, you’re the sour one. Is she still here?” Margaery started looking around.

“She’s gone. Probably left after I snapped at her,” muttered Sandor.  _ Sansa. Pretty name for a pretty girl. Stark...why do I know that surname? _

“Oh, that’s too bad. I haven’t seen her in a while. I should probably visit her soon,” Margaery remarked mournfully. “We used to be so close.”

“So, you know her then? And her boyfriend?”  _ Technically ex-boyfriend now, but too soon for Tyrell to know that yet. What the hell was she thinking kissing me like that? What the hell was I thinking responding to it?! _

“Is she still with him?” Margaery asked. “I would think she’d have dumped him after today. Joff reported you to the DA, thinking you had actually broken a law. That’s how I heard about it. He never mentioned Sansa was taken along with the car, hence my surprise. If Joff were my boyfriend and did that to me, his ass would be dumped so fast, he would get whiplash! I would expect no less of her. Especially since she kissed you. Sansa Stark is not the kind of woman to just go kissing strange men willy-nilly.” He glared at her. “What? You are technically a stranger to her, unless you knew her prior to the accidental abduction?”

“No, first time I’d seen her,” he muttered, sticking his hands in his front pockets and looking down at the ground.

“Then my statement stands. You must have made a good impression on her, or else she wouldn’t have kissed you.”

Sandor felt a little cold.  _ Well, fuck. Of course it would have to be like that. And of course I screwed it up. Just as well, even if she was interested, it wouldn’t last. _ The memory of her lips against his floated through his mind. They had been soft, supple, willing. He pushed that thought away.  _ I would just be some novelty fuck, or worse, a pity fuck, if it even got that far, _ he thought bitterly.

“Well, as interesting as Clegane’s love life is, we have a perp to catch. Margie, if you’re going to stay, I’d advise you to wait in the command center. I’ll give you a ride after. Oh, and I’ll take you home, too,” Bronn said with a grin. She slapped his arm, but she was smiling as she walked into the mobile center.

“Is your head in the game, Clegane? If you’ve got the Stark chick on your mind, best leave that shit at the door. I don’t want you getting killed because you couldn’t keep your distractions at bay.”

“She said the same thing,” Sandor said.

“Well, she sounds like a smart one. If you haven’t managed to scare her off with either your mug or your personality, I’d suggest asking her out. But, you have to survive this shit first. Are you with me?” Bronn asked.

“Yeah, I’m with you. No little birds cluttering up my brain,” Sandor said, checking his side piece and then grabbing a shotgun from the rack. The other officers, both plainclothes and uniformed were ready. It was about time he was, too. “Let’s light these fuckers up.”


	3. Chapter 3

Sansa had left the immediate area, but she only went as far as the building Officer Clegane had told her to park behind. She wasn’t sure if he would accept her offer of a ride back to the station anymore, but she had given her word. She sat behind a stack of empty pallets, hidden from view, but she could see what was going on, more or less. Her phone buzzed in her pocket.

**MarsBar: Hey! Heard you got kidnapped by an angry hound dog.**

**ME ~_o: You mean Officer Clegane? I guess he is kind of doggy-like. Fierce. Relentless. Barks a lot.**

**MarsBar: I also hear that you had a makeout session with him in a fancy car on the wharf. SPILL. What was it like??**

**ME ~_o: How do you know about that??**

**MarsBar: SO IT’S TRUE!!!**

**ME ~_o: Where the hell are you right now?! That happened less than 20 minutes ago! The raid he was going into hasn’t even started yet!**

**MarsBar: Wait. Are you still here?**

**ME ~_o: You’re at the raid???**

**MarsBar: Where are you? I’ll come to you.**

**ME ~_o: Behind a pallet pile, I can see the big white police truck from here. Next to a big building with the numbers 477 on it.**

**MarsBar: I see it. Be there in 5!**

Margaery came around the pallet pile at an alarming pace. “Ohmygods! You kissed the Hound!” she squealed, hugging Sansa to say hello.

“The...Hound? You mean Officer Clegane?” Sansa asked, a little confused.

“Hound is a nickname. You’ve had your tongue in his mouth, you can call him by his first name, you know,” Margaery grinned. Sansa turned red at that. Margaery stared at her. “Oh. My. Gods. You kissed him and didn’t know his name?!”

“We never formally introduced ourselves!” Sansa protested. “I at least knew his title and last name. He kissed me back without knowing even that much.”

“Oh ho ho! Do go on about that. How was your kiss with _Lieutenant Sandor Clegane_? I’ve always wondered what kissing him is like, though I would never dare play with that fire, even without Bronny in the picture. He’s too serious for my tastes, plus I just can’t get over his burn scars.”

“They’re not _that_ bad,” Sansa said, though she felt awkward defending him. “Just startling at first. If this were ancient Westeros, they would probably be a lot worse, _if_ he had managed to survive. Honestly, I’ve seen worse.”

Margaery’s eyes softened. “How is Bran doing?”

Sansa hugged herself, remembering the awful scent of burnt flesh and twisted metal from the day of that awful crash. “He’s doing remarkably well. The doctors say he’s lucky he only needed part of his leg amputated. He’ll be able to walk again, with an artificial leg and a lot of physical therapy. Jojen’s been by his side the entire time. Dad’s got a private eye looking into it, since the police report came back as foul play.” She shuddered. “I can’t believe someone would go so far as to win a damned race. There is no honor in such a win.”

“No honor, but quite a bit of gold for the victor. At least he did manage to win, though it makes finding the perp that much harder,” Margaery said sadly. “I’m glad Bran is doing better. How’s the rest of the family taking it?”

“Pretty well, except for Mom. She’s trying to convince Dad to not let anyone else race. Nevermind that it’s the Tullys that are the big name in racing, not the Starks. I mean, I understand why she’s doing it, but at the same time, you just can’t stop someone from doing what they love.” She gazed over at the police in the distance. She could hear gunfire and small explosions. She prayed that Officer Clegane was safe. She would never forgive herself if he got hurt or died because she had distracted him. “You just have to support them and hope for the best.”

“Well, enough somber talk. Tell me about the kiss! Please?” Margaery begged. “I’m so busy with work, I don’t have a lot of time for friends anymore, and you have no idea how much I miss girl talk. I love Bronn, but he can be such a guy!”

“It was…nice?” Sansa hesitated, but Margaery’s big doe eyes were too much. “It was nice. Very pleasant. Ok, fine, it was seriously good.”

“Could you see yourself doing it again?” Margaery asked.

Sansa sighed. _Could I?_ The memory of his kiss still fresh in her mind, she could practically feel him again. The feeling of his lips, the smooth scar tissue that was such a contrast to the rest of him. Yes, she could easily kiss him again. She would even go so far to say she _wanted_ to. Assuming he was willing to speak to her again.

“Well?” prompted Margaery.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I would kiss him again. But I seriously pissed him off. I don’t even know how I did it! I was going to wait here to see if he still needed a ride back to the station, but I’m not holding my breath.” She sighed again.

“He was more pissed than usual when I saw him, but he calmed down after a bit,” Margaery said. “I think he was just flustered. It’s not everyday a pretty girl attacks him with her lips.” She giggled at her own statement, and Sansa couldn’t help but laugh a little at that.

An explosion got both of their attentions, the shockwaves could be felt even at the distance they were at.

“Oh my gods,” Margaery whispered. _“BRONN!”_ she screamed and took off in a flash, Sansa close behind her, trying to stop her friend.

They could hear a distant wail of fire trucks, but the flames were growing quickly. Many officers were exiting the building, some with people in handcuffs, some with the help of others. Sansa scanned the crowd, looking for the burned giant. Margaery was getting frantic.

“I don’t see him! Sansa, I don’t see Bronn!”

Sansa grabbed the closest officer she saw. “Hey! Looking for a Bronn and a Sandor Clegane, you seen them? What happened in there?”

“Captain Blackwater and Lieutenant Clegane were leading the raid,” he said, staring at the building. “They would have been closest to the blast. Not sure what happened, but it happened in the main warehouse area.” Sansa followed his gaze to the billowing tower of smoke on the other side of the building.

Margaery was collapsing in tears beside her. “Officer…” Sansa trailed off.

“Payne, miss. Podrick Payne.”

“Officer Payne, please take care of Miss Tyrell. I’m going to try to take a peek into the building, I’ll be right-- Margaery!”

Margaery had broken away from them and was running towards the burning building.

“Fan-freaking-tastic,” Sansa muttered. She took a quick look inside the command center, grabbed a face mask and air tank, and took off after Margaery. The shorter woman disappeared into the building before Sansa could catch up with her. Cursing again, Sansa donned the face mask and used the straps on the tank to attach it to her back. Gathering all her courage, she ran in after Margaery.


	4. Chapter 4

He could hear Bronn coughing a few feet away from him. They had been fortunate that they had seen the bomb in time and were able to duck behind a thick shelving unit. It took the brunt of the blast for them. The gang they had been chasing had not been so lucky. Unfortunately, Sandor was now trapped by debris and Bronn was next to useless. If Bronn was able to get up, he could have easily cleared off the stuff pinning Sandor. The pile extended too far out of Sandor’s reach to do it alone. He sighed heavily, closed his eyes and leaned back against the shelving.

The smoke was escaping through holes in the roof and walls, courtesy of the blast, so they had that on their side, but the fire was destroying the rest of the building and he couldn’t tell how much longer it would remain stable enough to not fall down on top of them. The other officers had been farther behind them, and had been able to escape with Bronn’s warning shout.

_ This just figures. I’m going to die, surrounded by fucking fire and crushed to death by a building. This is what happens when you piss on a good luck kiss. Bugger me with a hot poker. If I could take it back, or have a second chance, I would do it different. Sansa Stark. I’m sorry. I hope you don’t blame yourself. You weren’t a distraction. You were hope. You prayed for a sign. So did I. I never pray, but I prayed today, and then the gods sent me you. Like a little bird, you fluttered into my life just when I needed it. Like a moron, I let you slip through my fingers. _

“You get very poetic when you think you’re about to die.”

He frowned and turned towards the slightly muffled voice. She was crouched beside him, her arms folded over her knees primly. Big blue eyes looked at him from behind a face mask. “What are you doing here?” he rasped.  _ Did I die already? If not, her pretty hair is going to get singed. _

She got up and pushed at some of the debris. “Tell me when you can get up.” She struggled with some of the bigger pieces, but soon Sandor was free. He got up on wobbly legs.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he said. She removed the face mask and air tank, and gave it to him.

“The exit’s over there,” she said, pointing to a hole in the wall. “Be quick about it. Carrying the captain is going to be a strain already, I don’t want to have to try to carry you as well.” 

Margaery was there, too, without a face mask, Sandor noted. She was kneeling next to Bronn. Sansa went over to them. It did take an effort, but they managed to get Bronn to his feet and they followed Sandor out of the building. Firefighters were on the scene, but the warehouse was on its last legs. Any evidence would either be burned, waterlogged, or both. He sat down in an ambulance, letting the EMT tend to him. He would have to go to the hospital. Minor cuts, but he had inhaled a lot of smoke despite the “ventilation”. Bronn was taken away first, Margaery with him. The ambulance only allowed two extra people. He technically could have gone with them, but Sansa would not have been allowed. Plus, she offered to drive him to the hospital, at reasonable speeds, and he really did want a second chance to start over with her.

They were both silent on the way to the hospital. She sat with him during the entire process of waiting to be seen, filling out paperwork and finally seeing the doctor. He was cleared from needing to stay for observation, but he was ordered to take a few days off to recover. “Can I see my captain?” he asked once the doctor was finished. 

“Of course, he’s been moved to the fourth floor,” Dr. Luwin said. “You can ask for his room number at the nurse’s station there. His wife is up there with him.”

_ Wife? Must mean Margaery. _

“Oh, speaking of wives, I gave your things to yours. She’s waiting out in the hallway, once you’re dressed.” He didn’t see Sandor’s eyes go wide as he wrote out some notes. “There does not seem to be any severe damage to your respiratory system. Stay away from any barbeques, bonfires and the like for a while. Don’t smoke. Take it easy on your lungs, basically. I’m prescribing you an inhaler in case you feel short of breath. I’m also giving you two refills. You will need to schedule a follow up with your usual doctor.” He tore the script from the pad and handed it to Sandor. “You’ve already signed the discharge papers. Here are copies you’ll need to take with you. I’ll leave you to dress, then. Good day, officer.”

Sandor sat there for a few moments.  _ She said she was my wife? Oh, but Margaery said the same thing about Bronn. Must have had to say it to be able to stick around. _ Feeling better, he dressed quickly. He found Sansa leaning against the wall, texting on her phone.

“Ready when you are,  _ Mrs. Clegane,” _ he teased, a little nervous. His usual teasing was a lot more raunchy, so this was unexplored territory for him. She smiled, and she blushed prettily. He took that to mean she was ok with it. She accepted his offered arm and they walked to the elevators. He noticed her hair was back to being down. It didn’t look any shorter, so he supposed it hadn’t gotten singed after all.

“Sorry about the lie, they weren’t going to let me stay with you otherwise,” she said softly once they were in the elevator. 

“It’s fine. No one got hurt by it. I’m glad you stuck around, to be honest.” He leaned against the elevator wall across from her. “I know you just got out a relationship, so you’re probably wanting some space, but I was thinking, maybe we could get coffee, or drinks, sometime? As friends, of course, since you know, space and all that.”  _ Fuck, I’m rambling. _ He raised his gaze to meet hers.

She gave him an amused smile. “I would like that.” She walked towards him. “Just as friends?”

“Uh...yes?”  _ Is this a test? _

She reached up to place each hand on either side of his face. He flinched a little when she touched his burned side, even though he couldn’t really feel much there anymore, but he didn’t resist when she pulled him down and kissed him softly. 

“You kiss all your friends like this?” he asked when she broke it, immediately regretting it.  _ Shut up, moron! If she wants to kiss you, LET HER FUCKING KISS YOU. _ She smiled at him, amused.

“Only certain friends,” she murmured, kissing him again. “Only one right now.”

Her kisses were turning his brain to mush and he heard himself asking, “Two friends now?”

She gave him another slow, amused smile. “No, just you. You’ll be my first kissing friend.”

“So not friends with benefits?”  _ Oh, bugger me with a hot poker. Why can’t I shut the fuck up?? _

She laughed. “Depends on how well you do as a kissing friend, I suppose.” Her eyes went a little wide, “Why Lieutenant Clegane, is that a Glock in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?”

He was fairly certain his  _ Glock _ was going to go off if she kept teasing him with her closeness.  _ She smells so nice. _ The elevator  _ dinged _ and the doors open. A nurse entered the elevator but stopped short when she saw the two. “Oh, pardon me…”

“Actually,” Sansa said, “pardon us, this is our floor,  _ dear.” _ She took him by the hand and led him out to find Bronn and Margaery.


End file.
